Swinging wringer support and gear housing



Oct. 9, 1928.

D. M. WENGER SWINGING WRINGER SUPPORT AND GEAR HOUSING Filed July 2, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet I N VEN TOR. flM Wwgar A TTORN E Y5 Oct. 9, 1928.

D. M. WENGER SWINGING WRINGER SUPPORT AND GEAR HOUSING Filed July 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet BY yaw W 4 A ORNEYS Patented Oct. 9, 19 28.

UNITED STATES 'DAVID M. WENGER, OF

earl cs.)

LEOLA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SWINGING WRINGER SUPPORT AND GEAR nousme.

Application filed July 2,

This application is a continuation inpart of the application on Serial No. 117 ,114 filed June 19th, 1926, and has for its prime object the provision of improvements in swinging mechanism for supporting washing machine wringers, particularly in the means for providing a swinging housing for the mechanism imparting forward and reverse motion to the wringer rolls in any of the multiple positions provided by the swinging mechanism.

An object of this invention is to provide a' longitudinal one-piece tubular swinging houslng containing suitable mechanism for operating the wrmger, the tubular housing being provided with a locking means adapted in which are located the vertical shaft and horizontal shaft to drive the wringer, as well as the necessary gearing, is made up of approximately a tubular hollow casing adapted to swing circuitously in either direction on suitable supporting brackets, the reversing gearing preferably of the two tooth-faced element being fastened to an extended portion of the vertical shaft. I

A further object of this invention is to provide a locking mechanism suitably fastened to a washing machine element and adapted to engage with a gear or ratchet fixed on the swinging mechanism in such a manner that the locking mechanism does not move with the swinging mechanism. I Another object of this invention is to provide a longitudinal one-piece oscillatory wringer support and gear housing which is adapted to be held in operable relationship to the main body portion of the washing machine by means of suitable bearing brackets and supporting elementsrigidly attached to the main body portion, tl1e locking mechanism being also attached thereto.

Other objects of this invention will appear from the following detailed description and as disclosed in the two sheets of drawings 1927. Serial No. 203,191.

which are herewith made a part of this application. I v

In the drawings, Figure 1 illustrates a front elevational view of the swinging revcrs- I ible mechanism for supporting and operating the washing machine wringer in assembled relationship with a tub, a section of the tubular housing being removed inorder to disclose the driving mechanism for operating the wringer.

- Figure 2 represents a top planview'of the tubular housing showing the extension arm adapted for connection with the wringer.

Figure 3 illustrates a front elevational view of a modification of this invention disclosing a'portion of the tubular housing broken away and the interlocking mechanism'in assembled relationship thereto.

Figure 4 represents an end View of the extension arm or receiving the wringer.

Figure 5 illustrates a sectional view of the tubular housing taken along line 55 of Figure 3 and disclosing the means forsecurely connecting the longitudinal one-piece tubular portions together. 7 I i Figure 6 represents a sectional view of the tubular housing taken along line 6-6 of Figure 3 and showing the locking mechanism in interlocked relationship with the ratchet on the tubular housing.

Numeral 1 designates an electric motor mounted on a suitable support below a tub 2, of the washing machine, the bottom line of the tub being designated by the numeral 3. The motor 1 is adapted to be brought into driving engagement with a two-faced mit-red gear 4 which is suitably attached to a vertioal driving'shaft 5 ,at its lower end directly underneath a supporting bracket 6. On the shaft 5 at its upper end is adapted to be mounted amitred gear 7 which engages with a mitred gear 8 which is keyed to a shaft element 9. The shafts 5 and 9, according to this invention, are enclosed in a housing 10, which is supported by various means such as, near the gear 4 and bracket 6 and shaft 5 being adaptedto keep the housing 10 from shifting upward; the housing, according to this modifi ation of the invention, is primarily 19-- ported at the bottom in a pocket formed in the supporting bracket 6. The shaft 5 is preferably journaled in a bearing element 14 gageswith alock'inggear element 18 which is adapted to be locked or released by the engagement and disengagement with a pawl 19 actuated by a lever arm 20. The ,objectof this Construction is to permit the housing 1,0.and

larm portion 16 thereof, with all its attachments, to be swung in either direction into any position relative to the machine on which it is supported bymeans of brackets 12 and 6,

by a simple disengagement of the pawl element .19 from the gearing 18.

In order to reverse .the direction of movement of the shafts Sand 9 throughthe twofaced gear 4, a suitable driving mechanism is provided between the driving motor 1 and the gear element 4, preferably as disclosed in Figurel and claimed in this applicants copending application. The housing 10 and its integrally extended arm portion 16 is formed tov properly receive therein the shaftelements 5 and 9 and the gears .7 and 8 and may be constructed either of a plurality of longitudinal one-piece sections securely clamped together by'means of suitable fastening ele .ments or may be formed from one integral pieeeas may be desired, thereby providing a longitudinal one-piece housing which be swung circuitously to the right or left and locked in any desired position. 1 v In the modification of this invention disclosed in Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6, the bearing elements within the housing 21, as at 22, .23 and 24, are preferably cast integrally with either one of the portions which comprise the housing'21 or otherwise as may be desired. The housing 21 is provided with an integrally extcndingarm portion 27, and is so constructed that it may properly receive therein driving shaft elements 28 and 29 and the gears 7 and 8. The housing 21 and 27 is preferably made, accordingto this invention, in two 1ongitudinal onepiecesections 26 and 30 having overlapping joints-31 which may be securely locked or connected together by means of suitable fastening'elementsj32.

The housing member, in this invention, comprising the portions 21 and 27, is adapted to pivotor swing upon a bracket portion 33 securely fastened'to themain body section of the apparatus by means of machine screws or otherwise as at 34 and is held in revoluble vertical position by means of an extended bracket element 34 fastened tothe main body portion of the machine by means of suitable ngiiP- The locking means for retaining the lionsing in a desired position in the modification of the invention as disclosed in Figure 6 comprises a flange element36 having a plurality of notches37, 38, 39 and 40 arranged periphorally thereof, the flange element 36being securely fixed by means -of set screws 41 or otherwise to the housing portion 21. A cooperating interlocking element 42 is arranged in slidable position within the bracket portion 33 in such a manner that when a notched portion 43 in the sliding member 42 is di .rectly opposite the flange member extension 36, the housing v 21 and 27 may be easily revolved into a desired position, and when the notched portion 43 is out of alignment with the flange portion 36, the sliding member 42 will be drawn by spring into one of the notched elements 37, 38, 39 and 40 the flange member 36, thereby securely locking the housing in'the desired position. In order to accelerate the sliding movement of the member 42, asuitable handle portion 44 is connected thereto and extends to a convenient position for manually operating as at 45, the rod 44 being slidably arranged in guide or bracket portions attached to the main body of the machine. In order to aid in pulling or drawing member 42 into engagement with notches 37, 38, 39 and 40, a spring 49 is positioned preferably under the bracket 34.

Figure 5 discloses one form of bringing the two longitudinal one-piece portions. ofthe housing into interlocked relationship consisting of'a cap lug portion 46 on the-inner periphery of one of the housing portions, thellug portions being adapted to receive the cap screws 32 through the other portion of the housingat a countersunk section 47 thereby providing means for securely fastening the housing portions together and forming a right angle tubular container for the shaft elements 28 and 29 and gears 7 and 8. The housing locking device as disclosed in Figure 3 is preferred to the arrangement shown in Figure 2, although substitutions'and alterations to the locking device, within the scope of the appended claim, will not affect the merits of this invention.

Figure 4 discloses a front View of the face plate 48, preferably integrally formed with the arm portions 27 of the housing and is adapted to have securely fastened thereto the Wringer. i

The shaft 28 is extended below the bracket portion 33 a sufiicient distance to allow for the two-faced element disclosed in Figure 2 and claimed in the parent case of which thisis a continuation in part.

In operation, this invention will provide an efficient and inexpensive means for swinging thewringer to the right or left and lockit in a desired position, the Wringer in this invention being attached to the pivotally mounted housing, While the driving shafts and gears therein are arranged to receive a reversing motion through suitable gearings attached housing having internally located bearings for the shafts thereby forming a continuous encasement for the shafts,,the mating gears being located within the encasement, 'the Wringer being connected at the end of an arm portion extending integrally from the encasement, resulting in providing a rotative unit.

convenience of allowing the'operator of the machine to remain in the sameposition.

The construction of thedevice, according to i this invention, provides a rotative unit having a plurality of-connected sections, simple, convenient and economical to manufacture.

It is to be understood that changes, Within the scope of the s ecification and claim, may

. be made Without eparting from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim is In a device of the character described, a main body portion, a wringer support mounted thereon consisting of one piece, right angular portions fastened together into a. continuous member, one right angular portion having I an-attaching means for connection with a Wringer, another right angular portion hav mg means for allowing the Wrmger supportto be locked against rotation, and means mount- 1 

